Legendary Actor John Hurt Dead At 77

On Friday, news broke that the two-time Oscar nominee known for his roles in the “Harry Potter” films, “1984,” Alien,” and “The Elephant Man” has passed away. (RELATED: Mary Tyler Moore Dead At 80)

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: John Hurt attends a Memorial Service for Sir Richard Attenborough at Westminster Abbey on March 17, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Hurt was born January 22, 1940 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. He said in an interview with The Guardian in 2000 that he always wanted to act.

“I wanted to act very early,” Hurt said. “I didn’t know how to become an actor, as such, nor did I know that it was possible to be a professional actor, but I first decided that I wanted to act when I was 9. I was effused with a feeling of complete and total enjoyment, and I felt that’s where I should be.”

He was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor and received a Golden Globe win for his performance in the 1978 film “Midnight Express,” where he played a heroin addict in a Turkish prison based of the true story of Billy Hayes.